Ice fishermen rely primarily on two types of line-and-hook devices for catching fish through holes in the ice: Tip-ups and jigging rods.
A tip-up is a device that rests on the surface of the ice over an ice fishing hole, and provides hands-free support for a spool of line holding a baited hook at depth. The tip-up has an automatic signal flag that trips when a fish strikes, signaling to fishermen near the hole that a fish may be on the line. If the fish has been hooked, the line is usually hauled in hand-over-hand until the fish is landed through the hole in the ice. The main body of the tip-up usually comprises one or more cross-legs that sit flat on the ice, the legs having a span greater than the diameter of the hole to prevent the tip-up from being pulled in.
Jigging rods are typically short, simple fishing rods held over an ice hole by a fisherman, with the line controlled by a simple reel. Fishermen will often use a jigging rod along with one or more tip-ups over multiple holes to increase the chances of success.
It is the present inventor's experience that, while the hands-free nature of a properly set tip-up can be convenient, in practice a jigging rod is more reliable for catching fish, and more fun for reeling them in.